Reviewing reality, history and repackaging
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By G. Michael Dobbs, Managing Editor
A very important documentary, a Hitchcock classic and a bit of a rip-off are featured in this week's DVD column.
Hacking Democracy
With the last two presidential elections both tainted with charges of voting machine irregularities, this documentary is essential viewing as we head into another national election cycle.
When freelance writer Bev Harris started to question the accuracy of modern voting machines, she did what nearly every writer does these days she performed a search on the Internet for Diebold, the company that manufactures the many of the voting machines used across the country.
What she found on a public unguarded file transfer site was the highly guarded secret program that Diebold uses to operate its electronic voting machines. Harris downloaded everything on the site and then consulted with a computer scientist at John Hopkins University to analyze the program.
Harris' objective was to find out if the electronic machines could be hacked into and could elections be rigged.
Filmmakers Simon Ardizzone, Robert Cohen and Russell Michaels followed Harris and other election accuracy advocates in their quest to prove the reliability of these new machines. Part detective story, part expos , and part civics lesson, "Hacking Democracy" shows us just how little our vote could mean.
What they present will shock and enrage many as we see these machines easily manipulated.
Anyone who is serious about the future of our country needs to see this film.
For more information, log onto www.docurama.com
To Catch a Thief
Alfred Hitchcock's films are generally not known for their romantic side or for humor although both elements certainly are present in many of his movies.
"To Catch a Thief" may be one of Hitchcock's most romantic films and it has plenty of the famed Hitchcockian suspense.
Cary Grant plays John Robie, an American expatriate who made his living before World War II as a gentleman jewel thief. Now years later, he is retired and thanks to his service during the war, pardoned. When robberies similar to his style begin happening, the police naturally think he is active again, and so do his fellow former criminals.
Robie's only hope is to capture the thief himself and he does so with the willing assistance of a stunning thrill-seeking American heiress played by Grace Kelly.
Kelly made only two more films before she left the industry for married life as the princess of Monaco.
Much lighter in tone than other Hitchcock films, "To Catch a Thief" is nonetheless a worthy addition to any Hitchcock collection and is a treat to watch.
Also a treat is the number of extras on the making of the film and an appreciation of famed costume designer Edith Head, who worked with Hitchcock on many of his films.
For more information, log onto www.paramount.com
/homeentertainment.
Swamp Edition: Shrek and Shrek 3-D
Okay, I like "Shrek" just fine, but this is just an example of redundant re-packaging in order to promote a new film due out his summer in theaters.
If you don't already own the first "Shrek" film, this package gives you the first film, plus the 16-minute 3-D film that was produced to bridge the storyline between "Shrek" and "Shrek 2."
I hadn't seen the 3-D film previously and I'm a sucker for any 3-D film. I happily donned my red and blue glasses and put the disc in the player. It's not bad, though not memorable either and the 3-D proved to my eyes at least as rather iffy sometimes it worked and sometimes it looked just like a jumble.
Don't expect anything new in this package.
For more information, log onto www.paramount.com
/homeentertainment.
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